24/7talk Interior Design, a blogging page about Interior Design

Create cozy rooms and cut at the same time energy costs when buying new Window Shades.

Understanding R-value

Building materials are assigned an R-value according to the product’s ability to resist heat movement.

• Window Properties

• Window frames are typically metal, wood or vinyl. The R-value of a metal frame can be 5 to 20 percent lower than a wood or vinyl frame window. A single layer of uncovered window glass has an R-value of 1.75. Advances in glass coatings and assembly methods are improving the energy performance of new windows, but a window’s age, quality of construction, and the condition of sashes, weather stripping and caulking will impact how much air infiltrates or escapes your home.

• Window square footage

• Windows make up 20 percent of the typical home exterior and 40 percent in contemporary construction. Numerous large, uncovered windows can break your energy budget when they’re on a cold north exposure in winter or a sun-saturated west wall in summer.

• Window Coverings

• Heat moves towards cold. In the winter it’s drawn to cold glass to escape your home (see illustration). In the summer outdoor heat moves toward the window of your air-conditioned home. The white exterior backing on all Hunter Douglas proprietary products reflects the sun. Using layers and cellular construction treatments at your windows can increase R-value by 1 to nearly 5 points. In extreme climates, that could save more dollars than you would spend to install windows with a higher energy efficiency.

Have for quite some time completely stopped my blogging activity. I was running into some problems with word press.
It was running like a snail on our server.
If someone tried to access my blog it took around 30 to 40 sec till the reader would see the blog. This is counting with a digital DSL cable connection. It was totally unacceptable.
In today’s time nobody wants to be waiting that long in front of the screen till the web page would appear. After some research I came up to use Expression Engine for my blogging. I found it was much faster and has a better tech support. It was easier to install than word press too, except the daily use requires a longer learning curve. It is somehow a little bit more difficult to use but more powerful than word press. I still have to work on some items like picture galleries and other small issues to have my blog running smooth again. 

In reading my favorites blogs, I came on an excellent article from

Why face to face still matters !!

A worthwile article to read. Especially as some of it applies to our Industry.

We finally did some extensive remodeling of our workroom in which we manufacture our Draperies, Shades, Upholstery and Accessories. It took me quite some time as it involved a complete makover during the normal operation of work.
I finally can give my upholstery men his own large workspace to do his upholstery work on Sofas, Benches, Chairs, Ottomans etc. Moved the noisy air compressor out of the workroom into an enclosed area, so nobody is bothered by the noise any more.

Our beloved large drapery table which uses a custom measuring system from OB/Masco went back into the centerstage of our operation again. On this table we cut, measure and pin our Draperies in a very efficient and very accurate way.

Due to more work for swags and jabots, we changed now to the heavy use of Velcro. I got that idea when doing work on a boat, as on this particular job we could not use any nails or screws. But we still had to hold the window treatments in its place, that how I started to use Velcro. It comes in any shape and style.
For swags and jabots it does not matter in the production any more, if they are for a drapery pole installation or mounted on a board installation, or just for a free flowing Swag/Jabot treatment on top of a window or door.
Recalls or remakes don’t exist with this particular system either. Further it gives us an edge in a faster production. We always love that. This all is only possible with the use of a german work room system, which includes large commercial steam ironing stations.
Anyone who knows about ironing fabrics will understand how difficult it is to get wrinkles or marks out of any kind of textile fabric, even at home when ironing the husbands shirts.
This irons work with heavy steam and their ironing sole can be adjusted to a lower temperature. Above problems can be elliminated without any big hassles.
It is also a snap now to apply blackout linings to any kind of window treatment like Roman Shades etc.
Great also in attaching any kind of Trims or Tassels to Draperies, Balloons, Roman Shades or any kind of valances we have to manufacture.
Even by the creation of custom decorative pillows which are delicate with their intricated patchwork, embroidery etc. it is very efficient and easy to use.